Action as trucks get stuck in Storrington

James Oxenham

Storrington’s county councillor has responded to a ‘serious’ problem with a junction in the village after the latest incident last week.

Philip Circus has spoken about the issue of large vehicles trying to negotiate the mini roundabout between Manleys Hill and West Street in Storrington after a lorry held up traffic on Friday, February 20.

The Tory member said he will now be writing to the mushroom factory at Thakeham. Mr Circus said: “The two recent problems with lorries in Storrington were caused by the drivers in both cases taking the wrong roads to and from the mushroom factory at Thakeham.

“I think that is acknowledged by both drivers. The immediate answer to that issue is therefore to make sure that the mushroom factory does its utmost to see that lorries going to and from the factory do not go into the centre of Storrington.

“I shall be writing to them to point out the serious problems that arise when sensible route maps are not followed and to impress upon drivers the need to avoid the centre of Storrington.”

A week previously the road was closed for several hours and part of a shop was severely damaged after another lorry tried to turn the same corner.

Sussex Police said the driver of the lorry was arrested on suspicion of careless driving and later accepted a formal police caution.

Storrington resident Tim Adams witnessed both incidents and said action needed to be taken by the council to prevent a fatality. He said: “The frequency with which this occurs now means that a decision on a solution should no longer be avoided. This urgent issue is entirely to do with road safety and it should not be obscured by long running debates about air quality and an A27 bypass.

“We need action now!”

Mr Circus said: “As far as the wider issue is concerned, our efforts are centred on achieving the promised improvements to the A27 which will make rat running through Storrington much less attractive and in assessing the results of the Low Emissions Zone trial to ascertain whether they give us the basis for banning certain types of vehicle from the centre of Storrington.

“I well understand the concerns of local residents, but since compulsory purchase and demolition of the properties immediately adjacent to the roundabout is not an option we have to pursue the various lines of action I have mentioned above. It is grossly unfair to suggest that the county council has ignored the concerns of local residents when quite the contrary is the reality.”